. >>> congressional leaders have steered away from the "fiscal cliff." there is still no guarantee they went take the plunge. cbs reporter tara mergener joins us live from washington with the work that still needs to be done. >>> reporter: good morning, frank and grace. as of midnight eastern time, we were technically over the "fiscal cliff." now, as you said, congress, the senate, rather, did pass a scaled-back version. but it's setting the substantial now for a showdown in the house. >> reporter: in the early- morning hours of new year's day, the senate began voting on a bill to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff." >> the bill as amended is passed. >> reporter: